


Altschemerz

by shewhorepronouns



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-01-25
Updated: 2016-01-25
Packaged: 2018-05-16 03:44:38
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,118
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5812528
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shewhorepronouns/pseuds/shewhorepronouns
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>High school AU where Rose Quartz has been missing for a year and then shows up in an unexpected place that brings unexpected news. That was pretty vague. Read the damn story.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Mo(u)rning News

**Author's Note:**

> Altschemerz Definition: Weariness with the same old issues that you’ve always had – the same boring flaws and anxieties that you’ve been gnawing on for years.

“Did you know if you travel faster than light you can travel ahead in time?” A pair of green eyes, enlarged by some thick reading glasses peered over the edge of that morning’s newspaper, most likely looking up from a science fiction movie review or the most recent astrological discovery.  
“Theoretically. You know it’s impossible to travel faster than light, Peridot.”  
“It’s not necessarily impossible, it’s just not probable.”  
Pearl rolled her eyes and poured herself a cup of coffee. She had been up less than ten minutes and was already being assaulted with her sister’s big, nerdy dreams. Pearl slouched into the chair across from Peridot holding her coffee like a precious stone and clinging to its warmth. She had about five minutes before she had to leave for school, but she still felt half asleep. She wish she were still asleep really. She had been having the most lovely dream…  
“What are you blushing about, ya little clod?” Peridot teased as she got up and tossled Pearl’s hair, “Earth to Pearl!” She hit her over the head with the newspaper before casting it down on the table and waltzing to the bathroom.  
“Leave me alone!” responded Pearl in her usual defensive manner before focusing on the paper in front of her. Every morning she glanced at the paper after Peridot’s thorough inspection. It always looked kind of the same. And she couldn’t help but wonder how much of it was actually true and how much was just a perception of the truth. Nothing ever caught her interest and she was beginning to wonder why she flipped through at all until -  
“Rose.”  
“Hm?” Peridot stuck her head out of the bathroom, toothbrush in mouth.  
Pearl stared down at the paper, frozen still. It felt like eternity before her lungs figured out how to breathe again and then they went into hyper drive and she was breathing all right but no amount of oxygen could clear her head. It had been a year. A whole fucking year. It couldn’t be possible.  
“Woah are you okay? Do I need to go grab your inhaler?”  
Pearl took a deep breath, drained the rest of her coffee, and muttered, “I’m going to be late for school,” before running out of the apartment, paper in hand.  
She didn’t go to her bus stop. She ran and she didn’t know where she was going. She didn’t have the mental capacity to decide where to go. Her feet slowed as her breathing turned into hysteric sobs and she collapsed to the curb. It had been so long since she had seen Rose Quartz, and there she was. The obituaries. 

Where the fuck was Pearl. Amethyst didn’t have a chance on this english quiz without her. Not that Pearl knew that. No, if Pearl knew how much Amethyst cheated off of her she would flip shit. There must have been a really good reason for Pearl to be missing school. It might even be a first now that Amethyst thought of it. She slouched in her chair with a pout and blew an obnoxiously loud bubble. No one else in the class was nearly as fun to tease. She knew she should have chosen today to skip.


	2. Reuniting the Crystal Gems

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pearl, Sapphire, Ruby, and Amethyst prepare to see Rose again for the first time in a year. In a coffin.

Pearl put a clip in her short pale hair, then hastily removed it. She didn’t feel right in black. She didn’t even own black, save a few shirts. She tried to pull down on the short dress she had borrowed from Peridot. She had way too much leg for it and she felt inappropriate. She began to dig through her dresser for tights.  
“Erm… Pearl?” Peridot edged in the doorway. She was fidgety and couldn’t manage to look Pearl in the eyes.  
“Hey Peri! Almost ready to go?” Pearl swiveled around with a pasted smile on her face.  
“I… I just want to say I'm sorry… I know you guys were… close. If there's anything-”  
“It’s okay,” Pearl interrupted. Peridot was squirming in the doorway. She was never good at emotional interaction. And the circumstances just made it worse. Pearl was embarrassed for confiding in her sister but she had had little choice.   
A silence hung suspended in the air for a moment before Pearl shattered the uncomfortable tension, saying something about needing to get ready. She closed the door and sank to the floor, only barely refraining from tears.   
It was going to be a long day.

“This is totally inappropriate,” gasped Ruby as she quickly pulled away and grabbed for her bra. Sapphire sighed and fell back.  
“You're right…”  
They both sat for a moment, pondering the scenario they were in. Ruby reconnected and looked at Sapphire’s stunning blue eyes. You would never guess she was legally blind in the right one. She was simply stunning. Ruby leaned in to steal another passionate kiss. They embraced lips as though they were always meant to be together, even in the worst of situations.  
“It’s… just our way of coping,” reasoned Sapphire.  
“Mmm, I suppose you're right, my Laughy Sapphy,” responded a purring Ruby as she ran her hands down Sapphire’s spine. They pulled together again, lips barely touching when suddenly Sapphire pulled away and diverted her attention to the door.  
“Someone’s coming.” The two scrambled to put their clothes back on. Ruby had a smaller tight black dress that was giving her curves the justice they deserved. Sapphire instead sported a long, dark dress with a flowing skirt. Ruby wrestled a while with her insane curls before Sapphire came over giggling and convinced her it was a lost cause.  
As predicted, a knock came to the door.  
“You guys better not be fucking again,” mused a bored Amethyst.  
Sapphire opened the door, “Hey, roomie. You almost ready?”  
“I’ve been ready for hours, Jesus Christ. Let’s just get this over with.”  
Ruby rolled her eyes at Amethyst’s insensitivity. It didn’t surprise her that Amethyst was unable to find some emotional respect even for something as serious as this, but she had hoped for a moment. She was too optimistic.

The crew met Pearl and Peridot on the steps in front of the church. It was an admittedly rag tag group of girls. You couldn’t expect much more from a couple of teenagers. They just stood a moment not really sure what to say, until Sapphire broke the silence.  
“Are we ready then?”  
“As ready as we’ll ever be,” Amethyst scoffed, not as rowdy and playful as her usual manner though. She was unable to look up from the ground.  
Sapphire, Ruby, Amethyst, and Pearl walked into the ornate church and found themselves in front of Rose’s peaceful face. The five of them were reunited at last.  
Sort of.

**Author's Note:**

> //what am I doing with my life.


End file.
